


You Can't Do That

by faultyfriendofyours



Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, McHarrison - Freeform, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:40:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23434048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faultyfriendofyours/pseuds/faultyfriendofyours
Summary: Paul is caught cheating on George, leaving Paul to frantically explain himself.
Relationships: George Harrison/Paul McCartney
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	You Can't Do That

The club was filled to the brim with jostling bodies by the time the set was finished. Paul had been trying– really his best considering the amount of alcohol he had consumed between songs– to follow behind everyone in their usually Congo line to the dressing room. But hands upon hands had pulled his away from where they were once secured on George’s shoulders.

Laughing off the tugging and pulling, he tried to return to his mates but stopped at a suddenly familiar voice. “Hey there, stranger.”

He twisted around in the bustling crowd to find a girl who was all too memorable smiling at him. Kate was her name. Yeah, pretty, pretty Kate that came and talked to him and him alone almost every night they performed. George had taken notice of the girl’s special interest in Paul and Paul’s playing into it, which resulted in the two butting heads.

“I’m not trying to shag her!” Paul had remembered yelling at one point in their last argument.

“You can’t do that, Paulie! You can’t stand here and lie to me fucking face,” George had been yelling louder and louder until Paul just kissed him. Kissed away the argument until it was all but forgotten in the pursuit of passion and lust. Because he did want to shag the girl and he hated himself for it. He could not justify within himself how he could love George so much and still have this urge to do something that could hurt him so much more.

Deep down, he knew he craved more physical contact but still had no idea how to ask of it from George. Girls were easier. They offered to cuddle first. They offered to kiss first a lot of the time too. With George, he seemed to be doing all the asking and offering and it didn’t sit right. Girls were comfortable. Girls were familiar. But they weren’t George– Paul’s definition of unfamiliar and uncertainty.

But those complex thoughts about complex feelings were out the window when Kate stood in front of him with her perfectly curled locks and soft angle face. “Hi,” Paul finally replied with a hesitant chuckle.

“Do you want to talk outside? You’re sweating like mad in this heat.” She had to yell over the new band playing, leaning in close to his ear. Her hot breath sent a shiver down his spine and he gulped down the feeling before nodding.

With that simple nod, she took his hand and led him away- farther and farther from his mates- from his boy. The boy he should be with instead. But he couldn’t think about George over the blaring music and the ghost of Kate’s breath still on his ear.

It all happened in a whirlwind. They were outside and the fresh air was cooling Paul’s sweat gleaned skin and then he was against the brick wall right outside the club’s doors and Kate’s lips were all over his. His brain shut down and he was kissing her back, beginning to lead her into the small alleyway with almost no parting of their lips. Once secluded, Kate became more frantic in her kiss and touch, hands wandering all over to tug at fabric. After untucking his shirt, her hands planted on his chest, her nails lightly digging at the skin until Paul moaned into the kiss. Arousal swarmed in his stomach and he opened his eyes to find it die immediately.

It was all too real and all too wrong. He realized with a stab of guilt that he wanted to see George when he opened his eyes. Kate was soft and sweet as honey but nothing like the cutting beauty of his George. The boy he had been dating for almost six months was what he wanted. It was so stupidly obvious.

He pulled Kate away, panting and trying to clear his fogged mind as her smile began to fade. “I-I’m sorry. I can’t be-“ Paul’s eyes darting down the alley just to keep from having to look at Kate but he quickly found George stood at the entrance, the backlighting of streetlights hiding his face. “George?” But Paul could have sworn he saw a tear streaming down the lad’s face as he turned to run. “Wait!”

With a curse and a rushed apology to Kate, he took off after George. Sobriety began to take hold as he ran down the street, seeing George only a few paces ahead. The quiff of dark hair showed just above the crowds that they ran through until Paul had lost sight of George altogether. He slowed to a jog, eyes searching down every alley and head peeking around to every bus stop shelter. But he had no luck. George had disappeared into the night.

Fear began to rush through Paul at the thought of George alone somewhere this late at night. They admittedly weren’t in the safest part of town. Stabbings for just a couple bobs weren’t unheard of, especially as the docks came closer. That’s where the real Teddy Boys were, not the ones that boys his age pretended to be at school. Real Teddy Boys had knives and hand axes and had no qualms using them.

He ran faster and faster as horrid scenarios filled his head until his lungs couldn’t bear it and he was doubled over a metal railing, heaving in air as he stared at the water below. The dark water churned and swirled in the channel, — so loud with the docks this empty— splashing up the side of the dock with only the scent of the water reaching Paul. He let himself be soothed by the movement of the water, his breathing slowing to something resembling normal.

With one last deep breath, he pulled himself up, ready to continue his search for George. He didn’t have to look far. As he turned around, he came face to face with the lad, whose face was red and whose jaw was set with a stern rigidity. He crossed his arms over his puffed chest and looked ready to murder Paul. But Paul could see the rim of red around his eyes in the glow of the street light. He might be mad but he was really sad, first and foremost. And it was all Macca’s fault.

“Stop following me, bastard.”

Paul wanted to point out the hypocrisy in George waiting here to tell him that but decided it wasn’t the best time. “I was worried, Geo. Can get mugged through here if you aren’t careful.”

“Aye, worried. If that was so you wouldn’t be snogging-“ He suddenly thrust his hands forward, knocking Paul into the railing. Paul braced himself. “Some bird like I’m fucking nothing!” His voice broke into a sob.

“Listen, love-“

“Don’t fucking call me that!” He pushed at Paul’s chest again and Paul let him, keeping his hands on the railing and head hung low.

“It was stupid- I was stupid…”

“You’re right there.” George crossed his arms again. He raised his brows expectantly. “What’s your excuse then? What’s keeping me from leaving you flat? Or should I leave now and spare myself your idiocy?”

Pulling in a shaky breath, Paul tried on his gentlest voice. “I’ve got no excuse because what I did is inexcusable.” Paul looked to Geo with pleading eyes. George huffed and began to turn away but Paulie caught his arm. “Geo please!”

Pulling his arm away, he shouted, “Don’t touch me! You won’t be kissing this away.”

“Just hear me out and after that, you can leave me to rot if you’d like. That alright?”

“Aye. Leaving you to rot sounds just gear.”

Paul sighed, running a hand down his face. “I thought I wanted that bird and it was tearing me up inside because I know I love you, with all my heart. I was confused and stupid and she started kissing on me and I still thought it was what I wanted but when she touched me I wanted it to be you, George! I opened my eyes to find her and I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. I just wanted you!”

“I haven’t been anywhere, Macca. I’ve been by your side the whole time. You’ve always had me.” George’s angry demeanor was breaking down as he worried at his bottom lip, his hands moving up and down his shoulders.

“I know, love. It’s all my fault that I didn’t just talk to you and tell you I wanted more… more of the physical stuff, y’know? But I was scared- scared if I told you how I felt I’d lose you because I didn’t even understand what was going through my head. This is just so new and all still. I don’t- I don’t know what to do half the time.”

George was quiet, his eyes on the ground as he swayed ever so slightly on the spot. The anticipation was eating Paul alive until he just wanted to disappear into the water and never emerge again. But then George was on him, his arms wrapped tightly around Macca’s back. Paul wasted no time in burying his nose into the crook of his mate’s neck.

“Don’t think you’ll get off so easy next time,” George spoke into his hair, sending a comforting buzz through his body.

“There won’t ever be a next time.”


End file.
